Art of safely cutting newborn nails

Cutting newborn nails

“There are places in the heart you don’t even know exist until you love a child.”  – Anne Lamott.

Introduction

Newborn tiny, tender nails are one of the significant touchpoints in the learning process of about the care they demand while cutting newborn nails.

Why cutting newborn nails is needed 

Newborns don’t have a lot of control over their hands and legs. For hygiene purposes we should cut or trim the fingernails and toenails of the newborn. Newborns tend to scratch themselves. So, to prevent any accidental scratches, we should cut the fingernails. They can  also keep their legs in the mouth, by which germs can get in their delicate body, which can make them sick.

We can cover our newborn hands with a pair of soft cotton mittens. But make sure that your newborn has some free time too from mittens, to explore and play with their hands and feel their fingers.

Newborn nails do grow quite fast, but still I have cut the fingernails and toenails when needed. You don’t need to cut newborn nails very often. There is a special newborn nail clipper/cutter. So, you can use it easily.

Key points while cutting newborn nails 

We should always keep a few key points in our mind while cutting newborn nails. 

  • Try to cut the nails when the newborn is either calm or sleeping.
  • Always make sure that there are plenty of lights, so that we can see clearly the newborn fingernails and toenails. 
  • Sometimes we can take the help of our partner, so that one holds the newborn as the other cuts the nails. 
  • For toenails, please cut it straight across to prevent Ingrown nails. 
  • Never cut the newborn nails with your nail clipper or nail cutter

Conclusion

Regularly maintaining the proper hygiene and safe environment for the newborn is very important for their well-being. Taking care of all the small things for a newborn will help in their overall health.

For newborn care related more articles, see our Wellness page.

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